Re: methadone » NikkiT2

In reply to methadone » JahL, posted by NikkiT2 on December 17, 2001, at 12:53:35

> Jah, > > Just out of interest, are you getting your methadone prescribed?? (if you don;'t want to mention it on here, feel free to email me!!) I'm interested as I have a friend who is trying to get off heroin, and has met alot fo resistance from doctors... he's currently buying "on the street" and self medicating with it.

I'll mail ya. So what you're saying is pdocs let opiophobia/fear of govt crackdown come before helping someone off H? I mean, isn't that what Methadone's for? I'd be interested to know just what they do prescribe M for.

> I know I have been very anti methadone use in the past as I have seena friend come cold turkey off it, and it was a scary experience... but, sometimes it takes my mind a while to catch up, and I speak now eating humble pie. The idea's of its use in mental health now has me interested.

Glad you've come round :-)I guess if you were naive about Effexor and saw a friend come off it cold turkey, you'd form a similar opinion. Of course this doesn't necessarily detract from its clinical usefulness (as w/ Methadone).

Constipation not withstanding ( :-0 ), Methadone is remarkably side-effect free. Far from being a stupefacient, personally speaking it seems to improve mental clarity and enhance energy (tho' I actually feel calmer). An example: the one thing I force myself to do everyday is work out on the punch-bag for half an hour. BPII slows me down generally; I have less strength, stamina & coordination. Since taking low-dose Methadone I've managed to break a knuckle (no 6 & counting) and the rest are covered in blood-blisters (& this when wearing 1" thick gloves). In other words, I'm hitting a lot harder than usual. My body actually functions better. Weird but exciting...

>Do you know of its use in helping the symptoms of BPD - not just the depression that comes with it, but the ruminating, psyhcotic thoughts etc.

I probably don't know much more about Meth. than yourself. Elizabeth's the one to ask probably. Just from where I'm sitting tho', when opioids do work, they seem to help quite a broad spectrum of symptoms...

So far as ruminating thoughts go, I've found Sulpiride+Lamictal to be most useful on that front. As far as Meth goes, I'd have to maintain myself on a higher dose before I could comment. I'll let ya know. Are your thoughts truly psychotic at times?